Mitten



Feb. 6, 1951 c. F. BERGER ET AL MITTEN Filed May 26, 1948 INVENTURS EARLE E En E BR TYU HN E. GRAHAM TTUENEY Patented Feb. 6, 1951 4UNITEDSTATES PATENT" OFFICE MIITTEN Carl F. Berger and Johny E.'Crala.n,Syracuse, N. Y.

Application May 26,1948, serial No. .29,223

s claims. (ci. 2 158) This invention relates to a mitten and moreparticularly to a gauntlet mitten for sports Wear, as for skiing and thelike.

In gauntlet mittens of the type described, it is desirable to stiftenthe gauntlet by suitable means to permit the use of relatively tightweave ilexible fabric. However, the use of ribs of one form or another,such as flat ribs, are generally unsafe, due to their unyieldingtendency when positioned in stitching in a gauntlet, and also because oftheir resistance to bending in the plane of the ribs. The wearer ifsubject to accident, may be subjected to injury because of theunyielding characteristics of such ribs.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide amitten, havingY a flexible gauntlet in which one or more stays areemployed that resiliently resist buckling but which have a high degreeof flexibility in all directions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gauntlet mitten inwhich provision is made to resiliently resist rolling back of thegauntlet, butz in which the gauntlet has complete flexibility.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gauntlet mittenhaving stiffeners, flexible in all directions, with the stiffenersextending the length of the gauntlet, and a substantial part of thelength of the mitten.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear morefully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and arenot designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, in kwhich like reference characters indicate likeparts:

Figure l is a front plan View of the mittens and gauntlet with afragmentary showing of a stiifener;

Figure 2 is a rear plan view of the mitten and gauntlet with afragmentary showing of a stiifener;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a stiffening element suitable for use inthe mitten; and

Figure 4 is a section, enlarged, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1through a stiffener and the gauntlet carried pocket therefor.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures l and 2,there is shown a mitten having a hand-receiving portion III, a gauntletportion I2, and a thumb-receiving portion I4. In practice, the palm I6of the hand portion I Il The gauntlet portion is secured by stitching25' to the vhand and thumb portions, at approximately the base of thelatter, and as shown, is comprised of a piece of fabric 26 folded as at28,

and stitched together along the sloping or flaring' seam 30. Across theback of the gauntlet, and adjacent the open end of the gauntlet, thereis provided a flexible strap, composed of elements 32 and 34 stitched tothe gauntlet adjacent the flanks thereof, and adapted to be adjustablyjoined by a buckle 36. The wrist end of the hand portion, at the backthereof, is adapted to be gathered as at 38, there being provided anelastic element 40 for the purpose, stitched transversely across theback of the pahn immediately adjacent to the gauntlet. Thus the gauntletis preferably k adapted to embrace or telescope the sleeve ia wearer.AAt the same time, suitable slack takeup is provided.

In order to render the gauntlet relatively stiff continuous about theforearm of the wearer and and self-sustaining, although composed offabric,

a pair of stiffeners are provided each ofy which extends into the handor thumb portionof the glove a substantial distance. The stiffener 42,for example, is suitably rooted in the thumb portion, and extends totheopen end of the cuff. The stiffener, which may be of the type shown inFigure 3, is held in place, preferably upon the inside surface of theleather thumb and fabric gauntlet, by a strip of cloth 45 stitched tothe thumb as at 48. The stiifener is similarly held in position by astrip of cloth 52 stitched to the gauntlet and palm as at 54. Theconstruction thereof, aswell as that of the stiffener 42, is illustratedin greater detail in Figure 4. It Will be seen that the stiifeners eachextend lengthwise of the glove, that is with respect to the generallongitudinal length of the mitten, and that the stiffener 50 does notgenerally follow the slope or flare of the seam previously referred to,so that the presence of the stiffeners does not interfere withadjustment of the strap elements 32 and 34, as the stiieners in `effectare located in the front face of the gauntlet or the thumb flankthereof.

A stiffener found to be admirably suitable for providing the requisitestiffness and yet affording resilient flexibility in all directions, andconsequent safety to the wearer, may be constructed in the manner shownin enlarged detail in Figure 3. Such stiiener comprises a pair of wiressuitably coated to prevent corrosion, each formed in a plurality of esinterlocking with one another. For example, the wire 56 is composed of aplurality of loops 58 interlacing With the Wire 60 and its loops 62. Theends of the Wires are suitably bound with a flattened metal cap 64, Thewires may be reversely formed coils which are subsequently positionedwith their turns interleaved, following which the coils are attened andironed out, under pressure suicient to permanently upset the metal, andindent and Yiatten the crossing turns of the wires with respect to oneanother.

It will be appreciatel that such a construction alfords flexibility inany direction, While resisting any change in length, and provides adesired stiiiness to the gauntlet without incidental danger, as ispresent in stiffeners having resiliency limited to a single plane. Inaddition, the location of the stiffeners is such vas to interfere theleast with the drawing up of the gauntlet over the sleeve of the wearer,and the taking up of Whatever slack seems desirable by the buckle; andadditionally, the stiifeners are rooted in th hand portion of themitten.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may bemadel without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a gauntlet mitten, a hand-receiving part, a thumb-receiving part,a continuous gauntlet part secured thereto, said gauntlet part having aflare in the iiank opposite the thumb ank for receiving and overlappinga sleeve or the like, and a pair of resilient stiffeners extending fromthe-"thumb part and hand-receiving parts respec- A tively, each of saidstiifeners being metallic ilat members being resilient in alldirections, and hav- 4 ing a substantial length thereof rooted thereinwhereby said rooted length is held in a relatively fixed position, andthe remaining length of said stieners extending substantially parallelto one another and substantially to the open end of said gauntlet andresiliently holding said gauntlet portion in extended position.-

2. In a gauntlet mitten, a hand-receiving part, a gauntlet part having asubstantial flare for receiving and overlapping a sleeve or the like, apair of stiffeners flanking the edges of said handreceiving part for asubstantial distance and anchored in said part and extending to the openen d of the gauntlet part, each of said stiffeners being metallic atmembers resilient in all directions, the anchored portion thereofextending for a sufficient length to hold said anchored portion in arelatively xed position, and thereby resiliently support the free endsto retain the gauntlet in normal position.

3. In a gauntlet mitten, a hand-receiving part, a gauntlet part having asubstantial flare lor receiving and overlapping a sleeve or the like, apair of stiffeners flanking the edges of said handreceiving part for asubstantial distance and anchored in said part and extending to the openend of the gauntlet part, said stiffeners being received in insidepockets extending along their entire length, each of said stiifenersbeing metallic at members resilient in all directions, the anchoredportion thereof extending for a sutil cient length to hold said anchoredportion in a relatively fixed position, and thereby resiliently supportthe free ends to retain the gauntiet in normal position.

CARL F. BERGER. JOHN E. CRAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 501,221 Wegener July l1, 18932,067,424 Steinberger Jan. 12, 1937 2,154,197 Callaway Apr. 1l, 19392,380,633 Daiber July 31, 1945

